


An Autopsy of Guilt

by GhostlyWitchAvenger



Series: Misc. Star Trek Ideas, Snippets, and Stories [10]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Autopsies, Blood, Character Study, Crime Scenes, Crimes & Criminals, Crying, Death, Deviates From Canon, Drama, Dreams and Nightmares, Feels, Flashbacks, Hatred, Hurt/Comfort, I'm sorry I killed Bones, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Investigations, Loss, Love, M/M, Murder, Mystery, Plot, Poor Jim, Pre-Star Trek: Into Darkness, Sad, Science Fiction, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-08
Updated: 2018-03-08
Packaged: 2019-03-28 19:12:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13910388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GhostlyWitchAvenger/pseuds/GhostlyWitchAvenger
Summary: Before Bones, nothing made sense. He became his rock; his everything. Marrying him had been the best decision he'd ever made.Then someone had to kill him in cold blood.And Jim would ratherdiethan let them get away with it.





	An Autopsy of Guilt

**Author's Note:**

> This can probably be read as a teaser for what's to come, because I'm sure if I continue this idea I'll edit this chapter

“Captain.”

When Jim got the call, he had been on the bridge, skin tingling with the memories of lingering touches and laughter huffed against his neck. The day had been spent tediously surveying a nearby gas cloud while they orbited Space Station VII, and already he was eager to return to his quarters and return to his own little piece of heaven.

When Jim got the call, those memories started to burn hot like brands on his skin, and not in a good way. A cold sweat gathered in his palms, tremors racking his frame as he had said, “Come again?”

When Jim got the call, he had screamed.

He didn’t know how this could happen. One moment, everything was as perfect as could be, and the next… it was all falling apart, crumbling to sand and slipping past his fingers.

The crew was still here. So was the ship, and his command. But the one thing he found most important was gone.

Forever.

“Captain.”

Never again would he hear that precious laughter.

Never again would he see those lips quirk into a smile.

Never again would he hear that voice speak to him in low tones.

Never again-.

“Jim.”

Everything started coming back to him in a dizzying rush. The oppressing silence, the smell of antiseptic; even the nurses moving quietly just on the other side of the glass window. Some were crying softly, and others were just standing still, staring at nothing, much like he was.

They didn't look in his direction.  _ Why would they? _ Some traitorous voice I'm his mind whispered.  _ You stand here, broken, in front of the person they all loved. _

Spock stood before him, something unreadable in his expression, “Jim,” He said again, “Admiral Pike is on the line.”

Up until this point, everything had been a haze. Now, it all started to hit home. Really hit home, “I-I don't think I…” His voice cracked and tears burned at his eyes, and he had to curl his hands into fists to stop them from shaking, “Spock, please. I can't.”

“Of course, I will speak with him,” Jim was half convinced that he had imagined when Spock reached forward to wrap a steady, warm hand around his clammy wrist. But, he was gone before he could register the comforting motion.

M’Benga hovered awkwardly nearby, blinking rapidly as his gaze never once left the person on the table, mostly hidden by the black body bag. It didn't look like he could quite comprehend what was right in front of him, either. Jim could understand.

“Have you performed the… the autopsy, yet?” His lips twisted around the word. Somewhere inside, something a little cowardly hoped that he had, then Jim wouldn’t have to see any of it. He didn’t know the details; hadn’t seen them. Giotto had told him it was terribly gruesome.

“No, captain,” M’Benga’s voice was steady, and surprisingly strong, “I wasn’t sure how to proceed. Protocol dictates that the captain is always present for the autopsy if it seemed like a… murder. But since you’re so close to-,” The doctor cut himself off, shaking his head, “I thought it best to wait for your orders, captain.”

The ring on his finger felt infinitely heavier.  _ Didn’t we promise each other forever? _

“I want someone else to look at hi- the body.”

“Sir?”

“I trust you, M’Benga,” Jim continued, fisting his command shirt in his hands. He wanted to break something. To take it in his fingers and  _ rip it apart _ because his  _ heart  _ was in  _ pieces-, _ “But someone on this ship did this. Someone under  _ my _ command. I want to keep any and all crew away from this until it’s solved.”

A nod, and the doctor was slipping out of the room.

Suddenly, Jim didn’t care if they could see his pain, or his anger.  _ Let them see. Let them know how much it hurts! _ He found himself bracing himself against the cold table, shuddering with furious sobs. He wanted to reach out and caress that blank face, so peaceful in death Jim could almost imagine the two of them in bed, instead of in Sickbay.

“I swear on my  _ life _ ,” He managed to get out, words hitching with his cries, “On my  _ life _ , Bones. I will find whoever did this to you, and I'll make them  _ pay. _ ”

**Author's Note:**

> Oh look, yet another fic I started  
> I'm literally posting this 30 minutes before my lab practical starts
> 
> Comments are great! This is another idea of mine I'm not sure if I should continue with, so please let me know if it seems good so far!


End file.
